Heights of Style - Kansas City Homes & Style

A stunning modern residence transforms a narrow West Plaza lot into a vertical masterpiece with breathtaking skyline views.

Story by Ann Butenas | Photography by Matthew Anderson

In a neighborhood where 1920s bungalows have long defined the architectural landscape, one remarkable home stands as a bold testament to contemporary design. Rising gracefully from a 52-foot-wide lot in Kansas City’s West Plaza district, this striking three-story residence represents more than just modern architecture; it embodies a complete lifestyle transformation for its owners.

The story begins with Jason and Julie Baker, a couple ready for their next chapter. After nearly 20 years in Leawood raising three children, they began planning their move as their youngest approached his sophomore year of high school.

“We started thinking about moving closer into the city, you know, more urban walkable neighborhoods with a new build,” Jason explained. They timed it perfectly, moving into their new West Plaza home right around their son’s high school graduation.

This dramatic shift required completely leaving their traditional Leawood home — and lifestyle — behind.

“Our house in Leawood was more traditional and all of our furniture was traditional, so we pretty much started from scratch,” Julie noted. They sold all their furniture and bought entirely new pieces to match their contemporary vision.

The contemporary style represented a significant departure from their previous aesthetic, but it was something they had long been interested in exploring.

“There wouldn’t be anything like this in the neighborhood we wanted to live in with the kids,” Jason explained, referring to their former Leawood location. Their inspiration for this home came from online research and Pacific Northwest modern home designs they admired that balanced clean contemporary lines with natural materials like stone and warm wood tones versus just pure, stark modern, as Julie expressed it.

Working with Clint Evans, Co-President and Principal Architect at NSPJ Architects, and builder Homoly Design + Build, Jason and Julie found professionals who could translate their vision into reality. The narrow lot, while wider than the typical 40-foot parcels in the neighborhood, presented unique challenges that Evans and his team embraced with innovative thinking. Molly Robinson, interior designer and marketing director at Homoly Design + Build, describes the project’s aesthetic as “a mix of minimalism and warmth,” achieved through careful material selections that balanced clean contemporary lines with perfect amounts of those natural wood tones.

Evans approached the site constraints by building vertically rather than horizontally, maximizing every square foot of the home’s nearly 4,200 square feet across four levels. The home also features approximately 1,000 square feet of elevated outdoor space. The solution was elegant: create a home that rises with purpose, with each level serving distinct functions while maintaining an open, connected feel throughout.

For starters, the ground level houses three bedrooms specifically designed for their children’s visits home.

“I wanted to make sure we had a bedroom for each child when they came home,” Julie emphasized. These rooms share a single, well-appointed bathroom, creating a dedicated space for family gatherings. Below this level, a recreation room and fitness facility occupy the basement, creating additional entertainment space. An elevator connects all levels, ensuring accessibility and convenience.

The main level serves as the heart of daily life, housing the kitchen, dining area, living room, Jason’s office, and an outdoor kitchen and eating area. The top floor contains Julie’s office, the primary bedroom suite, and the spectacular rooftop bar area.

When asked about their favorite feature, both Jason and Julie referenced the rooftop deck without hesitation. The space transforms throughout the day, making it perfect for morning coffee or evening entertainment.

“It’s nice in the mornings to sit out and watch the sunrise,” Julie said. “And, it’s shaded in the evenings, and we can see the lights of the city. Jason can have a beer and watch the Royals game and you feel like you’re at a restaurant, but then you’re reminded you can just go inside and be home.”

Large windows throughout the home serve a dual purpose: flooding the interior with natural light while creating visual connections to the outdoors.

“They didn’t want any of the light entering the house to be interrupted,” Evans stated, describing the Bakers’ vision for seamless flow throughout the space. This philosophy extends to unique design elements, such as the office positioned next to the staircase with floor-to-ceiling glass walls. While unconventional, as most people prefer privacy in their office, the homeowners specifically requested this fishbowl effect to maintain the home’s open, light-filled atmosphere.

The staircase itself serves as the home’s spine, featuring open, floating stairs that connect the three levels while maintaining the sense of spaciousness. This architectural element exemplifies the careful attention to proportion that Evans employed throughout the design, ensuring the modern structure felt balanced despite its height.

Perhaps the most spectacular feature awaits on the top floor, where the primary bedroom suite shares space with a full bar area. Large sliding windows open the bar to an expansive rooftop deck that spans the full width of the house. This outdoor space, complete with fire pit, offers stunning views of the Country Club Plaza’s skyline, a sight that transforms from impressive during the day to magical at night when the Plaza lights illuminate the urban landscape.

The home’s four patios create multiple opportunities for indoor-outdoor living, a key element in the contemporary lifestyle the homeowners sought. A covered outdoor patio on the main level flows naturally from the interior spaces, while the office opens to its own patio, maximizing both light and the sense of connection to the outdoors.

The design process involved close collaboration between the homeowners and the professional team. While Jason and Julie worked directly with Evans and the Homoly team on the major architectural elements, they brought in interior designer Kali Buchanan of KBID for color selections, cabinet styles, and furniture choices.

“She was so good because she knew what we wanted,” Julie said. “We wanted the clean lines and we wanted it to be very open spaces, but we also wanted to bring it back down so it was comfortable and had that earthy feel with the warm wood.”

The transition to their new modern lifestyle has been everything they hoped for. Their adult children love visiting the new space, and, as Julie mused, “they probably have entertained here more than we have.” The home has become a magnet for family gatherings, successfully fulfilling one of their primary goals.

The success of this project lies not just in its striking appearance, but in how effectively it solves the complex puzzle of urban living. By building up rather than out, creating multiple outdoor spaces, and maximizing natural light throughout, NSPJ’s Evans and the Homoly team have created a home that feels spacious and connected despite its narrow footprint.